Sports

Newtown High School’s girls’ tennis team extended its winning streak to ten before dropping a 5-2 decision to Weston in the regular-season finale, on May 13; the finished 11-5 this season. The boys’ squad, meanwhile, finished off the regular season with six straight victories to post a 10-4 mark.

Seven of Newtown High School’s boys’ lacrosse team’s first 12 games were decided by just one goal, and a contest with nonconference team Norwalk on May 12 looked to be headed to yet another nail-biting finish. The game was even, 3-3, at halftime, but the Nighthawks turned it on in the second half and pulled away for a 13-4 triumph under the lights at Blue & Gold Stadium.

Newtown High School’s girls’ track and field team stayed unbeaten with a trio of wins in a meet at Weston on May 12, and the boys defeated two of three opponents in a visit to Stratford the day before. The Nighthawk girls defeated Stratford 138.5 to 11.5, Immaculate of Danbury 133-17, and Weston 98.5 to 51.5. Newtown’s boys’ team defeated Stratford 77-71 and Immaculate of Danbury 100-41, and lost 97-53 to Weston.

Newtown High School’s girls’ lacrosse team overcame an 8-3 deficit to shock host Bethel 11-10, on May 12 and, in doing so, hope they’ve started on a path of recovering from a 3-8 start to the campaign to qualify for the conference playoffs. The Nighthawks now own a one-win edge and a tiebreaker advantage on Bethel as they battle to qualify for the six-team South-West Conference tournament.

As Newtown High School’s softball team headed into its final five games of the regular campaign this week, the Nighthawks had beaten every South-West Conference foe it had faced (with just two they’d yet to play). The Nighthawks, coming off a 7-4 win over Notre Dame-Fairfield, under the lights at Treadwell Park on May 11, had an overall record of 11-5 (9-1 in SWC play). Given the team’s overall success this spring, Coach Bob Guererra has guarded optimism as it heads toward the playoffs.

Newtown High School’s boys’ golfers and their coach, Bill Flood, never doubted their chances of dethroning Pomperaug of Southbury when the South-West Conference championship rolls around in late May — not even after an 11-stroke loss to the Panthers this year, and a pair of defeats to Masuk of Monroe. On May 7, the Nighthawks gave themselves plenty of reason for a little added confidence and, in the process, may have won over some doubters by tying Pomperaug to earn the distinction of co-champions of the Woodland Invitational at Oxford Greens.

The good thing about a first-year team being led by seniors is that it has some multi-sport athletes in the fold. Something the inexperienced yet veteran-led Nighthawks have to handle, however, is remembering that they are just that … a new team. “I think what’s happening is we’re getting ahead of ourselves,” senior captain Jeff DePinto said after his Nighthawks dropped their third straight match in a loss to visiting Masuk of Monroe, on May 8. “Clearly there are things we have to work on.” Sandy Doski notes that her team does work hard, and has been competitive. The 3-0 scores don’t reflect how much the Nighthawks have tested their opponents.

Newtown Parks and Recreation Department and NYA Sports & Fitness Center announce the Mad Dash Adventure Race will be held on Saturday, June 13, with the first flight commencing at 8:30 am. The fourth annual Mad Dash offers the ultimate in fitness adventure in which participants run, jump, crawl, carry, and climb their way through the scenic Fairfield Hills Campus, utilizing both its natural topography as well as manmade structures. This fun but challenging course includes physical challenges, running, and skilled events. Participants may choose from four levels.

Newtown High School’s tennis, golf, baseball, and softball teams continued winning ways with victories to cap the first week of May. The girls’ tennis squad extended its winning streak to eight matches with a 5-2 victory over New Fairfield on May 6 and a 7-0 triumph over New Milford the next day. The Nighthawks improved to 9-4 overall as they head into their final three matches of the campaign. On the boys’ courts, the Nighthawks made it five wins in a row by also defeating New Fairfield and New Milford on the same days. On the baseball diamond, the Hawks blasted visiting Stratford 15-2 in a game at Fairfield Hills on May 6. The Night-hawks outscored four opponents 58-6 en route to extending their winning streak to seven. The softball team got back to its high-scoring/strong pitching winning ways in a 16-2, six-inning run-rule victory at Immaculate of Danbury on May 5.

When the baseball game ended the scoreboard told the story: 13-0. Another lopsided outing; this one two days after an 11-1 blowout. What to do? Newtown High School Coach Matt Memoli decided having his team members run laps around the field against set times as he clocked them with a stopwatch was in order. This wasn’t punishment for losses. Oh, no. In fact, Newtown was on the winning end of both of those one-sided games — the 11-run outburst at Weston on April 29, followed by the baker’s dozen eruption in a triumph over visiting Kolbe Cathedral of Bridgeport on May 1.